Shoe pressing machine



May 25, 1937. M. c. SUERKEN SHOE PRESSING MACHINE Filed July 9, 1936 1 VENTOR. MAxwmC HEP/(IN ATTORNEYS.

Patent d May 25, 1937 PATENT OFFICE SHOE PRESSING MACHINE Maxwell 0. Suerken, Erie, Pa., assignor-to Immnc Process Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation 01 Delaware Application July 9, 1936, Serial No. 89,123 9 Claims. '(C1. 12-38) The present invention is directedto improve.- ments in shoe pressing machines of the type illustrated in the patent to R.- F. McClenathan No. 2,004,820 June 11, 1935. In operating these 5 shoe pressing machines, the sole is secured to the bottom of the shoe with cement. In fully securing the sole to the shoe the parts oi! the shoe bottom and the sole are held in engagement by pressure mechanism until there is sufficient setting of the cement to definitely secure the parts together. Structures heretofore made have provided sole supports formed of resilient rubber on which the sole was pressed during the cementing operation, but such devices have not been supplied with any included means for heating the supporting surfaces so as to accelerate the setting of the cement.

In the present invention the sole support is preferably formed of resilient rubber in which the resilience of the rubber controls the cushioning efiect of the support and is provided with a heating element designed to heat the cemented surfaces in a simple and convenient manner without subjecting the rubber of the support, or

25 the sole or lighter parts of the shoe to injurious heat. In the exemplification shown the heating element is incorporated in the resilient rubber support which assures the distribution of the clamping action throughout the sole. In carrying out the present invention, the heating element is incorporated directly in the body of the rubber support. It is so related in capacity and is subjected to so light a voltage as to supply sufficient heat for setting the cement but is at no 35 time heated sufficiently to injure the support. The heating element is so made also that the support retains its flexibility so that it may readily conform to the shoe shape and sole yet resists deformation sufflciently to aid in shap-- 40 ing-the sole to its original form and to prevent undue curiing'at the edges. Other features and details of the invention will appear from the.

specification and claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing as follows:

Fig. 1 shows a central section through the apparatus on the line in Fig. 2.-

Fig. 2 a plan view of the pressure support, a 50 portion of the pad being in section on the line 22 in Fig. 1. i

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2. l marks the base of the apparatus. A pressure support comprises the parts 2, and 3, and 55 the parts 2 and 3 are connected by a hinge l so that these parts may more readily conionn to the'shapes of different shoes. The front of the plate 2 rests on a shoulder 5 on the base, and the rear supporting plate 3 has a projection 6 which rests in a socket I in the base. This arrangement of support permits the parts to adjustthemselves for the proper curves.

The pressure support also includes the rubber supporting element 8 which is mounted on the supporting plates. This element is preferably of resilient rubber and in the preferred-form the resilience of the rubber itself controls the cushioning effect of the support. The sole of the shoe 9 is placed, on the support properly supplied with cement and the bottom of the shoe is, placed on the sole. A pressure foot made up of the plates ill and H connected by a hinge I2 is placed on the inside of the shoe in position. to insert closing pressure to the support. 'A shank I3 extends from the plate N. The shank I3 is 0 provided with a screw socket ll which is adapted to receive a thrust screw IS. The thrust screw 15 operates through a screw threaded arm l6 extending upwardly from the base.

It will readily be observed that with the shoe in place, the bottom of the shoe and sole may be clamped together through the operation of the screw exerting pressure on the pressure foot.

So far thestructure is that'in common use.

A heating element I1 is embodied in the rub- 7 her support. This is in zig-zag form made up of a series of loops having crosswise members 18, thecrosswise members of each pair being connected by a longitudinal member IS. The ad jacent members of successive pairs are connected by longitudinal members 2|. The element is formed of flat wire and the turns of each of the loops are made by folding the wire'upon itself as at. 20 and 22. The laterally extending pairs which are connected at' one side extend be- 40 tween the laterally extending pairs which are connected at the opposite side of the pad, so that the heat from the element is well distributed throughout the entire rubber support. In order to prevent the buckling or puckering of the rubber support at thepoint offigreatest bend, namely adjacent the hinge ii, the loops at this point are brought in more remote from the edge of the pad.

Terminals 23 and 24 are provided for the ends of the element and these may be connected up to any convenient source of supply but ordinarily the element is subjected to a very low voltage such as 4 or 5 volts, but has suflicient current capacity to supply the necessary volume of heat.

Ordinarily the temperature of the element is brought to about Fahrenheit.

It will be noted that the flat wire has a surface facing the surface of the pad contacting the sole. In other words, the flat wire is fiatwise of the rubber support and is, therefore, very flexible so that the rubber support may be readily flexed both longitudinally and laterally with the rubber support to conform to the curves of the shoe bottom. The heat so introduced is arranged in close proximity to the sole, and so sufiicient heat may be given to the contacting surfaces to rapidly set the cement, but the heat is not sufficient to injure the leather of the shoe or the rubber support. This heating of the rubber support reduces the setting time from one half to one third of what can be accomplished without the heat.

The flat wire not only readily yields to conform to the curve to which the rubber is subiected, but also supplies a greater heating surface so that there may be a more definite heat exchange between the wire and the rubber without excessive heat at the point of output.

What I claim as new is:-

1. In a shoe pressing machine, the combination of a sole support of resilient material of the nature of rubber, the thickness and resilience of the support alone controlling the cushioning eiiect of the support; a pressure foot adapted to exert pressure on a shoe bottom in contact with a sole on the support; and an electric heating element arranged in the support.

2. In a shoe pressing machine, the combination of a sole support of resilient material of the nature of rubber, the thickness and resilience of the support alone controlling the cushioning effect of the support; a pressure foot adapted to exert pressure on a shoe bottom in contact with a sole on the support; and a heating element of metal embedded in and in direct contact with the resilient material of the support.

3. In a shoe pressing machine, the combination of a sole support of resilient material of the nature of rubber, the resilience of the resilient material controlling the cushioning effect of the support; a pressure foot adapted to exert pressure on a shoe bottom in contact with a sole on the support; and an electric heating ele- 4 ment formed of flat wire distributed through the sole support of resilient material with a face of the wire facing the sole contacting surface of the support.

4. In a shoe pressing machine, the combination of a sole support of resilient material of the nature of rubber, the resilience of the resilient material controlling the cushioning effect of the support; a. pressure foot adapted to exert pressure on a shoe bottom in contact with a sole on the support; and an electric heating element of metal embedded in and in direct contact with the resilient material of the support, said metal element being formed of flat wire having a face facing the sole contacting surface of the resilient support.

5. In a shoe pressing machine, the combination of a sole support comprising a yielding pad; a pressure foot adapted to exert pressure on a shoe bottom in contact with the support; and an electric heating element in the form of a flat wire distributed through the pad in zig zag loops, the face of the wire facing the sole supporting surface of the pad.

6. In a shoe pressing machine, the cornbination of a sole support of resilient material of the nature of rubber, the thickness and resilience of the resilient material alone controlling the cushioning effect of the support, said support comprising a backing formed of hinged sections; a pressure foot adapted to exert pressure on a shoe bottom in contact with a sole on the support; and an electric heating element arranged in the support.

7. In a shoe pressing machine, the combination of a sole support of resilient material of the nature of rubber, the resilience of the resilient material controlling the cushioning effect of the support, said support comprising a backing formed of hinged sections; a pressure foot adapted to exert pressure on a shoe bottom in contact with a sole on the support; and an electric heating element of metal embedded in and in direct contact with the rubber support, said metal element being formed of flat wire having a face facing the sole contacting surface of the resilient support.

8. In a shoe pressing machine, the combination of a sole support of resilient material of the nature of rubber, the resilience of the resilient material controlling the cushioning effect of the support; a pressure foot adapted to exert pressure on a shoe bottom in contact with a sole on the support; and an electric heating element comprising zig zag loops extending crosswise of the element and backing plates for the support formed of hinged sections, the loops of the element adjacent to the hinge being shortened.

9. In a shoe pressing machine, the combination of a sole support of resilient material of the nature of rubber, the resilience of the resilient material controlling the cushioning effect of the support; .a pressure foot adapted to exert pressure on a shoe bottom in contact with a sole on the support; .and an electric heating element of metal embedded in and in direct contact with the resilient material of the support, said metal element being formed of flat wire having a face facing the sole contacting surface of the resilient support and including resilient zig zag loops distributed through the support, said sides and ends of the loops being joined by folds of the wire.

MAXWELL C. SUERKEN.

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